Google has a new trick to tackle Covid-19 misinformation

Google this year has rolled out a host of features to combat the spread of misinformation pertaining to Covid-19 on its platform. The company has not only rolled out a new website but it has also made it easier for netizens to look for Covid-19-related information on its platforms. Now, the company has rolled out a new feature that will strengthen these efforts.

Google today announced that it is launching a new feature on Search that will surface a list of authorized vaccines in their location as well as information panels on each individual vaccine when people look up information for Covid-19 vaccines.

The company has rolled out this feature in the United Kingdom. The company said as other health authorities begin authorising vaccines, it will introduce this new feature in more countries.

Google also said that since its launch in March 2020, its Covid-19 information panels on YouTube have been viewed 400 billion times. These panels are featured on the YouTube homepage, and on videos and in search results about the pandemic. Updates to the panels connect people directly to vaccine information from global and local health authorities.

The company also announced that it is also supporting YouTube creators by connecting them with leading health experts to make helpful and engaging content for their audiences about COVID-19 and vaccines.

The company also noted that since the beginning of the pandemic, it has given $250 million in Ad Grants to help more than 100 government agencies around the world run critical public service announcements about COVID-19. The publications that have received these grants can use these funds throughout 2021, including for vaccine education and outreach campaigns, and we’re announcing today an additional $15 million in Ad Grants to the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist their global campaign.